Ja’Marr Chase has back soreness after Bengals’ win over Bills

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is currently dealing with back soreness following a rough hit he took during Sunday’s victorious game against the Buffalo Bills.

Chase revealed that his injury occurred from a fall on his back. Despite the discomfort, he managed to finish the game, but he isn’t certain about the severity of the injury or his availability for the upcoming game against the Houston Texans.

“I’m just going to provide support for my teammates,” said Chase during a Monday interview. “Allow them to do what they need to do. All I can focus on is recovering for the team and giving it my all.”

Bengals coach Zac Taylor has stated his belief that Chase sustained the injury during the third quarter of their 24-18 victory at Paycor Stadium. Trying to make an acrobatic catch, Chase leaped backward into the air to catch a deep ball from quarterback Joe Burrow, but he crashed to the ground and was slow to get back up.

Taylor mentioned that determining Chase’s status for Sunday’s home game against the Texans (4-4) is “impossible.” The fifth-year coach stated that Chase’s availability will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. The players have a day off on Tuesday.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Taylor explained. “I’m not trying to raise any concerns right now, it’s just that he’s dealing with soreness.”

During the game, Chase had four catches on eight targets, resulting in 41 yards. He admitted that his back issue worsened as the game progressed.

Chase, who is currently in his third year since being drafted from LSU, is familiar with mid-season injuries. Last year, he missed four games due to a hip ailment. However, he mentioned on Monday that the back injury is different because it involves his spine.

After their home game against Houston in Week 10, the Bengals will be traveling to face the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. Both the Bengals (5-3) and the Ravens (7-2) have secured four consecutive wins, and both teams are competing for the AFC North title. Cincinnati lost their first encounter against Baltimore in Week 2.

When asked about his return, Chase stated that the schedule is not a factor in his decision-making process.

“You can’t get ahead of yourself,” Chase explained. “I’m not worried about Baltimore right now. My focus is on Houston, the team in front of us. One week at a time.”

With Chase dealing with a back injury and a Bills defense determined to minimize his impact, Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins stepped up and delivered his best performance of the season. He caught a team-high eight passes for 110 yards during the primetime victory against Buffalo.

Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan expressed that the team’s ability to find production from various receivers has been crucial to their success.

Callahan added that with the contributions from other receivers, tight ends, and an effective running game, the offense should be able to manage even without Chase.

“All of these factors give me a lot of confidence that we can fill any gaps in production or step up for a game,” Callahan confidently stated.